St. John's sponsors Great American Smokeout Poster Contest

The Great American Smokeout is coming to a school near you.

It all started in Randolph, Mass., in 1970 as Arthur P. Mullaney asked people to give up their cigarettes for a day and contribute the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund.

Since, the third Thursday in November has been tagged as the day for the Great American Smokeout. Now, the American Cancer Society marks the Great American Smokeout by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. This year’s Smokeout day is Nov. 21.

This year, St. John’s Lutheran Hospital is taking Mullaney’s idea to the schools by sponsoring the Great American Smokeout Poster Contest.

“Every year during the Great American Smokeout, the hospital hands out quit kits to those who would like them. But this year, we really wanted to take our participation to another level,” said Katheryn Stephens, director of marketing at St. John’s. “We spent some time trying to come up with an idea to really get the word out about the health benefits of quitting tobacco, and even better yet, the health benefits of never starting.  That is what drove us to the decision to do a poster contest for our local children.”

Students will compete in three divisions: grades third through fifth; sixth through eighth; and ninth through 12th. Each poster must contain an anti-smoking or anti-tobacco theme. Any medium may be used, but posters must not exceed 11-by-17 inches. There is no limit to the number of posters that may be submitted by each student.

The student’s name must be clearly printed on the back — not the front — of the poster, along with their grade, city and teacher’s name. The contest is open to students in Libby and Troy, and home-schooled students may also participate.

Posters must be turned in to Tanya Goyen at St. John’s by noon Friday, Nov. 15. There will be two winners for each age group, and they will be announced Monday, Nov. 18. The winning posters will be reprinted and displayed at local businesses across Libby and Troy.

Stephens explained the reason to take the Smokeout message to children through a poster contest.

“We wanted to target young people to help them understand the dangers of tobacco use before they ever begin using it,” Stephens said. “We hope that this contest will help to get school-aged children thinking about ways to stay healthy for the long run.”

Stephens said the smoking cessation kits are available at the hospital for those trying to kick the habit. Also, the state of Montana sponsors a Montana Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669).

For more information on the contest, contact Tanya at 283-7221.